Finally a blue sky day for my visiting mate. Peyresourde, Peyragudes & Superbagneres. Oh yeah!
When your friend's luggage beats him through French customs. Lucky there's nothing exy in this unattended box!
Home sweet home. Blue skies at the Col d'Aspin & noodle soup for lunch. Ahhhhhhh....
Last Tourmalet of Summer. Booooo! Perfect day for it, and don't worry - autumn riding here is pretty good too!
Blue sky Tourmalet tonne (& a bit)... what a day!
Last Pyrenees Cycl'n Trip bike only morning this year. Aubisque & Soulor. Magical climb through & above the clouds!
When mountains are your playground! Peyresourde & altiport bike only morning + few more climbs seeing as I'm here
Obligatory TdF day ride up the Tourmalet. Usual madness & great atmosphere, although it looks oddly quiet here!
Spotted in Barbazan-Dessus... flagon of wine on the rack, bottle in the back pocket. Did well to make it this far!
TdF Grand Depart is in Italy this year so... topical post ride refreshments while watching today's stage. Cheers!
Sunday 2 gorges ride... but I've a feeling we're not in Sydney anymore! Lot valley to Gorge du Tarn & back.
Great ride up Lacets de Montvernier & Col du Chaussy, but no views from either. Doh! Few nice shots later on though.
Telegraphe & Galibier. Huge snow wall at the summit. Rest much prettier than I imagined. Descent ain't bad either!
Today's ride: Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard. 40km climb from Aosta to frozen lake, down Swiss side & back. Spectacular!
Today's ride: Little pootle in the hills above Lake Maggiore. Always beautiful... and even the weather came good!
HC climb to Prato Nevso on an overcast day... no, in drizzle... no, in torrential rain! At least it was warm-ish
Sometimes it's just nice to know you're not the slowest on the mountain...
Tourrettes-sur-Loup, Col de Vence - no pics as no view from top - & the spectacular Gorges du Loup. Awesome ride!
Tootle in hills of the French Riviera. Some seriously steep pinches here... 29% max! Few nice views, but a bit busy.
Nice little square in the village of Collobrieres & Lac de Carces from today's somewhat longer ride.
Pretty cool bike path near Sommieres... and a quick look at the village itself on today's short loop.
Spectacular spin up & down Valle de Tena (+ side routes). Stopped for, like, a million photos... here's just a few!
Short hike-a-bike today, to the spectacular Laguna Negra. Wow! Then up to Puerto de Santa Ines because... why not?
Bit of hike-a-bike on today's ride: well worth climbing up to Mirador de Castroviejo! Then home via the lake shore
Puerto Herrera: a nice little pinch - see road sign in background Blast home past poppy fields & the odd castle!
Little spin in the Obarenes Mountains. Views over La Rioja before heading into the clouds! Spain in June - brrrrr!
Seems to be a pattern forming: I go riding & someone uses that as an excuse to buy cake. Not that I'm complaining!
Today's ride: beautiful Basque loop. Plenty of little villages, lush forests & of course not a flat road in sight!
Tourmalet is pretty bleak at best of times. No snow walls for year's 1st ascent so even more so #CanOnlyGetBetter
Today's ride: random cruise exploring new parts of the Pyrenean foothills. Great day to ride like a tourist
When you get home from a 100km ride & are handed this giant pastry before even getting off the bike. Nom!
Fab Xmas day in the Pyrenees. Unseasonably warm so no skiing, but great tonne on the bike before festivities. Cheers!
Today's ride: Col d'Aspin in the snow, under blue skies. Beautiful conditions!
Local roads most tourists & Le Tour would probably never consider. Just paradise! Especially on a sunny autumn day
Today's ride: a very slow Col du Tourmalet. In shorts. On November 18! Ski season in 2 weeks? Not looking likely!
Seems like last day of summer riding weather here. Once past a bit of traffic was beautiful up at Lac d'Estaing!
Today's ride: possibly last Tourmalet of the season? Looking a bit autumnal despite 34C max temp. Crazy hot October!
Today's ride: home sweet home!
Obligatory beach ride-by, Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Nice, but getting out of here through traffic chaos is 'interesting'
Coastal start today then a few inland cols, which while only babies still got me above the clouds. Always special.
On this morning's ride... dreamy descent from Alto de Las Coronas. Autumn conditions don't get much better!
Port de Larrau into Spain. 26km climb back to France (Pierre Saint-Martin) was fun: 37C max! Awesome day out!
End of summer high peaks ride: Cirque de Troumouse, Barrage des Gloriettes & Col de Tentes. Awesome rugged beauty!
Today's ride: Lac du Tech & the (relative) wilderness above. Beautiful stuff.
Working on shades positioning. How's this? Feeling great, new fastest time climbing Col d'Aspin! #OlderIsStronger?
Another day in cycling paradise What passes for a picnic when you have to carry it up Col du Tourmalet Cheers?!
TdF Tourmalet day. Great atmosphere. No rain but maybe not so later? Loving my #FullyPro sunny placement - LOL!
Alpe d'Huez: super famous cycling climb but village not v.pretty. Luckily return via Villard-Reculas is spectacular!
Huge ride to Arpettaz/Crest Voland/Aravis/Croix Fry. Charcuterie lunch. Beer above Lake Annecy to finish. Magic day!
Today's ride: social spin up Col de la Forclaz, which means... snack stop! Ham & cheese galettes all round - nom!